1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to apparatus for mounting a trainline brake system between rail cars. The mounting system and trainline support casting may be used with any type of rail car, but features of the invention are particularly adapted for use with a rail car known as a “cushioned car,” characterized by having a shock absorbing cushioning unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A trainline brake system for a cushioned car generally consists of a rigid pipe fixedly attached to a rail car, terminating in an angle cock valve at the end of the rail car. The angle cock valve is connected to a flexible hose supported on a hanger bracket, which maintains a predetermined distance between the hose and the ground, which distance is specified by standards set by the American Association of Railroads (“AAR”). The flexible hose in turn is connected to a trainline support casting, connected to a further flexible hose terminating in a “glad hand.” The glad hand connects to a like series of structures on the next adjacent railcar. This system of flexible hoses between cars permits them to be reliably disconnected from and connected with each other, and supports the trainline through a turn, when the axes of adjacent rail cars and couplers are not in alignment. Failure of these elements may result in brake failure, and there are consequently strict AAR standards, and relatively few acceptable arrangements to meet the above stated objectives.
The distance from the trainline support casting to the end of the coupler is set by AAR standard, currently 21-½ inches to 22-½ inches, but subject to change, so that the precise distance dictated by standards at a particular point in time is not a critical aspect of the present invention. A universal standard permits uniform hoses to be used on freight cars throughout the United States. The hoses achieve a gentle “s” curve in use, which allows some play to connect and disconnect hoses. However, there remains a danger of hose kinking, if the span distance is too short, or uncoupling, if the distance is too great.
Rail cars do not have identical geometry, so it is difficult to have a universal hanger design that will maintain the required distance between the trainline support casting and the end of the coupler in all cases. Conventionally, a bracket form supporting the trainline support casting is mounted to the yoke of a cushioned unit, or to the underbody of a rail car, but these mountings result in more variation in the position of the trainline support casting, due to slack in various components of the system.
A co-pending application by the assignee herein, Ser. No. 11/733,458, filed Apr. 10, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,637,381, describes and claims a swivel fitting that permits the angle of the trainline support casting to be changed when the end hoses are installed. However, the angle is fixed in use.
Not long after cushioned cars were first introduced, U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,868 to Yates, assigned to Pullman Incorporated, described and claimed a support bracket mounted directly on a coupler head. However the design had significant drawbacks and did not meet with general acceptance. One drawback of the Pullman design is that the mounting of the bracket on the coupler requires all four of the conventionally provided openings on the coupler head, which is not adaptable to variations in coupler head designs. Use of all four apertures also prohibits the mounting of an end-of-train device, which is conventionally mounted on the coupler head using two of the apertures. Further, the Pullman design does not allow the trainline support casting to adjust its angle, and the bracket is positioned so far to the right of the coupler, that it would likely interfere with the angle cock valve on most current cushioned car designs.
The present invention provides for economically positioning the trainline support casting with respect to the coupler head to permit efficient and reliable support, and coupling and uncoupling of brake hoses, while avoiding many of the problems identified in the prior art.